Tips for Saving on Groceries and Food Leftovers Ideas

Photo by Denny Lyon of a slice of red velvet cake


Tips for Saving on Groceries and Food Leftovers Ideas - Who doesn't want to have more money to spend on chocolate - or red velvet cake?

In this fun article there is a video of a woman from Washington state who saves 80% of her food budget. She is willing to tell all as it is a simple plan that makes sense.

Recipe: Chocolate Almond Coconut Cake with Chocolate Caramel Sauce

Chocolate Almond Coconut Cake with Chocolate Caramel Sauce

From: Chef Sue Schickler of The Pitcher Inn, Warren, Vermont

Yield: 10 – 12 servings


Chocolate and Almond are the two best food groups in my world. They are such naturals to pair up! This is easy to make and a one-layer deliciously rich cake to be savored in small bites. After all, we have to save calories for the next delicious chocolate adventure!


Ingredients for Chocolate Almond Cake:
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

12 ounces almond paste

1 ¼ cups sugar

4 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, divided

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened


Ingredients for Coconut layer:

2 2/3 cups (about 8 oz.) unsweetened, grated coconut

½ cup light corn syrup

Ingredients for Chocolate Glaze:

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chipped

4 ½ Tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil


Ingredients for Chocolate Caramel Sauce:


3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 ¼ cups sugar

1/3 cup water

1 cup heavy cream


Optional: Vanilla ice cream for serving



Directions for Chocolate Almond Cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350° F. Butter bottom and sides of 9” springform pan. Line bottom with round of parchment paper and butter paper.

In medium mixing bowl, sift together four and cocoa powder; set aside.

Break almond paste into 1” chunks and place in bowl of electric mixer along with sugar and 1 whole egg.

Using paddle attachment beat on low speed until smooth. Add butter and beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add remaining whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in yolk. Remove bowl from mixer stand. Using large rubber spatula, fold in cocoa powder mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until top of cake is firm. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Transfer cake to work surface and remove side of springform pan. Place 8” cardboard round on top of cake and place top of wire rack over cardboard. Invert entire assembly onto work surface. Remove bottom of pan and parchment paper from cake. Bottom of cake is now facing up. Allow to cool completely on wire rack.

Directions for Coconut layer: Place coconut in bowl of food processor fitted with metal chopping blade and pulse until very finely chopped. Add corn syrup and pulse until coconut is evenly moistened. Spread mixture over top of cake in even layer.

Directions for making Chocolate Glaze: Place chocolate and oil in top of double boiler over hot, not simmering, water. Melt chocolate, stirring until mixture is well combined and smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

To catch excess glaze, position jellyroll pan or mixing bowl under wire rack on which cake is set. Pour warm glaze over top of cake and use small offset metal spatula to smooth glaze evenly over entire cake. Refrigerate cake on rack until glaze is set, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake to serving platter.

Directions for making Chocolate Caramel Sauce: Melt chocolate carefully so as to not scorch it, over a double boiler on the stovetop is better than a microwave. Combine sugar and water in large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and occasionally washing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, until sugar is dissolved. Raise heat to medium-high and continue to cook, without stirring, for 5-7 minutes, or until syrup turns golden amber in color; it may be necessary to swirl pan occasionally to evenly distribute caramel.

Immediately remove pan from heat and slowly pour in heavy cream (be careful-mixture will bubble up). Whisk until well blended and smooth. Stir in melted chocolate. Strain sauce through metal sieve into heatproof bowl. (If not using immediately, cool sauce to room temperature, then chill in covered container. When ready to serve, reheat sauce in double boiler or microwave oven.)

To serve, cut cake into 10 or 12 slices. Place each slice on dessert plate along with scoop of ice cream and drizzle of warm sauce.

The Pitcher Inn
27 Main Street
Warren, Vermont
1 – 888 – 867 - 4824

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana

Recipe: Cream of Crawfish Soup

Cream of Crawfish Soup

Serves 6 to 8. Voted one of Baton Rouge, Louisiana newspaper's: The Advocate’s Best of the Best recipes in 2004.

From: “Roux to Do” cookbook, published by Covington, Louisiana Junior League


Ingredients:


1 lb. crawfish tails with fat

½ cup chopped green onions

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

2 cups chicken broth, heated

½ stick butter

1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

½ cup flour

2 cups whipping cream, warmed

2 cups milk, warmed

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper, or to taste

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Paprika for garnish


Directions:

Process the crawfish tails, green onions and mushrooms in a food processor until ground but not mushy, adding 1 cup of the chicken broth, if needed.

Melt butter in heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour with a whisk. Cook 1 or 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add remaining chicken broth and stir until well blended. Add the ground crawfish mixture and mix well. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the whipping cream and milk. Season to taste with salt, pepper, Creole seasoning and garlic powder. Mix very well.

Bring to boil then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each lightly with a pinch of paprika.


Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog –
Romancing The Chocolate

Recipe: How To Make Chocolate Apples

How To Make Chocolate Apples - Now here's something we all should have thought of and didn't: Chocolate covered apples for Halloween or any time! So glad I ran across this wonderful recipe on HubPages.

Will set about converting the English measures to American. For those of you who already know how, enjoy this simple piece of chocolate heaven!

Update: here are the conversions

150 grams of dark chocolate = 5 1/4 oz. (oh, heck! just use 6 scant ounces!)

100 grams milk chocolate = 3 1/2 oz. (4 oz. sounds good to me!)

20 grams butter = 1 1/4 Tablespoons

Now that wasn't so bad now was it? To our British friends, thanks!

Recipe: Pine Nut Ricotta Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries

Pine Nut Ricotta Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries

Here’s a little beauty of a dessert high in protein! Perfect for the weekend gathering.

Cheesecakes are immensely popular in Louisiana. Because of the Italian and Sicilian descendants who made their homes in Louisiana over a century ago there is a great respect for Italian ingredients like ricotta cheese.

While it is true that ricotta cheese is high in fat it is also high in protein. Just anticipate your calories for the day, adjust them accordingly and then cut a smaller slice to enjoy without worry!


From: Pastry Chef Caroline Threinen, FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Yield: 12 servings – preparation time is 1 ½ hours plus baking and chilling times


Ingredients for Macerated Strawberries:


Two (12-oz.) cartons fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered

½ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier

Ingredients for Pine Nut Crust:

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk


Ingredients for Ricotta Cheesecake Filling:


8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

1 cup light corn syrup

½ cup pine nuts


Garnish:

Sweetened whipped cream


Directions for Macerated Strawberries: Toss together strawberry quarters, sugar and Grand Marnier and allow to macerate, covered, for at least 2 hours or until strawberry juices are released.


Directions to make crust: Position a rack on lower shelf of oven and preheat oven to 350° F.

In bowl of an electric mixer, using paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, pine nuts, butter and egg yolk. Mix just until the mixture starts to come together as a dough. If it seems dry, add a little water. Shape dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll out dough into a circle about 13” in diameter. Line an 11” tart pan with removable bottom with dough and trim off excess dough. Line dough with parchment and fill halfway with beans, rice or pie weights. Par-bake the shell for 10 minutes; remove the parchment paper and weights and bake for another 12-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Set aside to cool. Lower oven temperature to 325° F.


Directions to make Ricotta Cheesecake Filling: Place cream cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs and yolks in food processor and process until fully combined. With machine running, gradually pour in light corn syrup. Pour mixture into cooled tart shell. Sprinkle whole pine nuts over filling. Bake cheesecake for 40-45 minutes, until set.
Chill tart for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve each slice with macerated strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.


FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar
31 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
612 – 216 - 3473

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog –
Romancing The Chocolate